9000 surface acre reservoir

can be accessed by boaters

from two marinas, five de-

veloped boat ramps, and sev-

eral additional access points

96 miles of shoreline is

available for shore anglers.

Campground facilities and

restrooms are available at

several locations.

WARNING!!!

Prevent the Spread of Zebra

Mussels and other Aquatic

Nuisance Species

Clean, drain, and dry your

boat after each use.

Blue Mesa Reservoir re-

quires mandatory inspec-

tions before launching.

See CNRA web site for

more info.

Find additional local fishing

info and a list of fishing

guides at: Gunnison -

Crested Butte/Activities

Kokanee Salmon

Kokanee catch majority of

summer boat angler catch

Rainbow Trout

Rainbow trout predominate

shore angler catch.

Brown Trout

Brown trout add a significant

catch for boat and shore an-

glers and ice fishing anglers.

Lake Trout

Lake trout provide trophy op-

portunity with fish up to 50

pounds caught. Lake trout

catch best in spring and ice

fishing seasons.

Yellow Perch

Perch have increased in re-

cent years, providing addi-

tional opportunities, espe-

cially in summer and ice fish-

ing seasons.

For additional information about

kokanee / lake trout information:

CPW Blue Mesa Page

CSU Fish Ecology BMR Page

Ice fishing shelters must be

portable

Kokanee snagging permitted

November 1-December 31

Bag and possession for lake trout

is unlimited for lake trout up to

32 inches, one fish over 32 inches

Bag limit for kokanee is 5 fish

and possession is 10 fish

Bag limit for cutthroat, brook,

brown, and rainbow trout is 4 fish

with possession limits of 8 fish

General Information: Blue Mesa Reservoir, a 9000 acre storage reservoir, offers good fishing for

kokanee salmon, brown trout, rainbow trout, and trophy lake trout. Blue Mesa Reservoir is located within

Curecanti National Recreation Area. For Curecanti information: http://www.nps.gov/cure/index.htm

Location: Gunnison County. Gunnison River inlet to Blue Mesa Reservoir is located 5 miles west of

Gunnison. For map of Blue Mesa Reservoir and Curecanti: CNRA Map

Recreational Management: National Park Service

Fishery Management: Coldwater angling for kokanee and rainbow, brown, and lake trout.

Purchase a Fishing License: http://cpw.state.co.us/buyapply/Pages/Fishing.aspx

Blue Mesa Reservoir

FISH SURVEY AND MANAGEMENT INFORMATION Dan Brauch - Aquatic Biologist (Gunnison)

dan.brauch@state.co.us / 970-641-7070

Updated June 2017

Regulations Amenities Sportfishing Notes

2015

120,000 ten inch (catchable)

rainbow trout

3.6 million fingerling kokanee

2016

62,000 ten inch (catchable) rain-

bow trout

3.6 million fingerling kokanee

Previous Stocking

Blue Mesa Reservoir

FISH SAMPLING INFORMATION

Figure 1. Lake trout catch per hour of net soak time in spring time period for all lake trout (top) and

lake trout over 30 inches in length (bottom). Spring survey last completed in 2012.

All

Lake

Trout

Lake

Trout

Over

30”

Figure 2. Mean relative weights for lake trout sampled in spring 2000-2016 by length category, showing re-

cent improvement in lake trout condition for most sizes of lake trout.

75

85

95

105

115

125

135

Co

nd

itio

n R

ati

ng

Year

Blue Mesa Lake Trout ConditionBy Length Category

<20"20"-24"25"-29"30"-34">34"

Blue Mesa Reservoir

FISH SAMPLING AND STOCKING INFORMATION

Figure 3. Blue Mesa Reservoir estimated open water fish abundance. Results from summer sonar survey.

Sampling has shown that most open water fish are kokanee. Chart shows rebound in fish abundance in 2015

and 2016, indicating improved kokanee available for anglers for 2017. Research has shown that increased

predation by an expanding lake trout population is primarily responsible for decreases in fish abundance.

Figure 4. Blue Mesa Reservoir kokanee stocking totals by location 1965-2016. Stocking has been increased

to offset increased predation within Blue Mesa Reservoir.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

19

65

19

67

19

69

19

71

19

73

19

75

19

77

19

79

19

81

19

83

19

85

19

87

19

89

19

91

19

93

19

95

19

97

19

99

20

01

20

03

20

05

20

07

20

09

20

11

20

13

20

15

Nu

me

r Sto

cke

d in

mill

ion

s

Year

Blue Mesa Kokanee Plant Totals by Stocking Location 1965-2016

BLUE MESA

LAKE FORK GUNNISON RIVER

GUNNISON RIVER

EAST RIVER

0

200

400

600

800

1000

12001

99

4

19

95

19

96

19

97

19

98

19

99

20

00

20

01

20

02

20

03

20

04

20

05

20

06

20

07

20

08

20

09

20

10

20

11

20

12

20

13

20

14

20

15

20

16So

na

r fi

sh e

stim

ate

(th

ou

san

ds)

Year

Doubled Stocking

Rate Increased Stocking 500,000

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Tota

l Cat

ch in

Th

ou

san

ds

Boat Angler Total Catch by Species

Kokanee Rainbow Trout Lake Trout Brown Trout Yellow Perch

Blue Mesa Reservoir

CREEL SURVEY INFORMATION

Figure 6. Bank angler catch by species for May-October surveys 2000-2012.

Figure 5. Boat angler catch by species for May-October surveys 2000-2012.

0

5

10

15

20

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

Tota

l Cat

ch in

Th

ous

and

s

Bank Angler Total Catch by Species

Kokanee Rainbow Trout Lake Trout Brown Trout Yellow Perch

Figure 8. Species targeting by anglers at Blue Mesa Reservoir during January through April (left table) and

May through October 2012 (right table). Anglers with a response of Any/All Species were not specifically

targeting a single species or were fishing for whatever they happened to catch.

Blue Mesa Reservoir

CREEL SURVEY INFORMATION

Figure 7. Winter angler catch by species in 2004, 2006, and 2012 at Blue Mesa Reservoir. Most of

catch was by ice anglers (8,910 fish) followed by boat anglers (3,871 fish) and bank anglers (1,282 fish).

0

1,000

2,000

3,000

4,000

5,000

6,000

7,000

8,000

Feb - Apr 2004 Jan - Apr 2006 Jan - Apr 2012

Tota

l Cat

ch

Winter Catch by Species 2004-2012

Kokanee Rainbow Trout Lake Trout Brown Trout Yellow Perch

SPECIES TARGETED

BY ICE, BOAT OR BANK ANGLERS

Species Ice Bank Boat

Kokanee Salmon 1% 0% 32%

Brown Trout 0% 5% 8%

Rainbow Trout 2% 7% 0%

Lake Trout 27% 23% 18%

Yellow Perch 1% 0% 0%

Any / All Species 69% 64% 42%

SPECIES TARGETED

BY BOAT OR BANK ANGLERS

Species Bank Boat

Kokanee Salmon 1% 73%

Brown Trout 2% 2%

Rainbow Trout 7% 1%

Lake Trout 5% 4%

Yellow Perch 0% 0%

Any / All Species 85% 20%

020406080

100120

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

Nu

mb

er

Me

asu

red

Length (in)

Lake Trout

0

50

100

150

200

250

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Nu

mb

er

Me

asu

red

Length (in)

Brown Trout

0

200

400

600

800

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Nu

mb

er

Me

asu

red

Length (in)

Rainbow Trout

0

500

1000

1500

2000

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Nu

mb

er

Me

asu

red

Length (in)

Kokanee

Blue Mesa Reservoir

CREEL SURVEY INFORMATION

Figure 9. Length frequency for harvested fish checked during creel survey interviews at Blue Mesa Reser-

voir, January—October 2012. Lengths were measured or reported for 10,398 fish from 6,161 anglers.

Blue Mesa Reservoir

PERCH SAMPLING INFORMATION

Table 1. Summer shoreline electrofishing survey 2016 entire reservoir (perch monitoring sites).

Fish Species (sportfish listed in order of abundance)

# Caught Average Length in inches Length Range in inches

Brown trout 255 13.5 4.0—21.5

Kokanee salmon 3 11.6 11.1—11.8

Rainbow trout 170 12.8 4.3—19.5

Yellow perch 2784 4.0 1.9—9.5

Fathead minnow 1 2.3 2.3

Longnose sucker 22 8.3 5.0—15.5

White sucker 429 10.2 3.0—18.1

Figure 10. BMR Lake Trout removal totals 2009-2016, Above (*includes lake trout captured during summer

sampling).

Figure 11. Summer lake trout sampling population estimates (SPIN sampling) 2011-2016.

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

2004 2006 2009 2013 2016

Ca

tch

pe

r H

ou

r

Yellow Perch Catch Per Hour

E CPUE E CPUE>S (>5 in)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1200

1400

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11

Number Sampled

Length (in)

2004 2006 2009 2013 2016

Blue Mesa Reservoir

LAKE TROUT SAMPLING INFORMATION

Table 1. Gill net survey data for fall season 2016. Net data is from 1.75 square inch mesh nets (8’X200’).

1347 lake trout were removed to reduce predation on stocked kokanee.

Fish Species (sportfish listed in order of abundance)

# Caught Average Length (Range) in inches

Average Weight in pounds

brown trout 289 16.8 (8.2—22.2) 1.5

lake trout 951 21.1 (8.4—41.5) 3.2

kokanee salmon 36 15.5 (10.0—18.5) 1.3

rainbow trout 2 13.8 (12.4—15.2) .75

yellow perch 5 10.7 (5.8—12.4) 1.0

longnose sucker 468 15.4 (13.0—18.3)

white sucker 651 15.9 (12.6—19.8)

Figure 10. BMR Lake Trout re-

moval totals 2009-2016, Above (*includes lake trout captured during summer sampling).

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

0200400600800

100012001400160018002000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 *2014 2015 *2016

CP

UE

(Fis

h p

er

ne

t h

ou

r)

Nu

mb

er

Re

mo

ve

d

Blue Mesa Lake Trout Removal Totals and Catch per Effort 2009-2016

Culled and Transferred CPUE

Figure 11. Summer lake trout

sampling (SPIN) population esti-

mates 2011-2016.

Blue Mesa Reservoir

FISH SAMPLING INFORMATION

Figure 12. Estimated increase in kokanee abundance and eggtake with changes in lake trout abundance

(SPIN estimates) and reductions in kokanee harvest (Pate Model, CSU).

Management Notes — Blue Mesa Reservoir is a destination fishery for anglers targeting kokanee salmon

and trophy lake trout, as well as stocked rainbow trout and wild brown trout. Yellow perch were illegally

stocked in the late 1990’s and have become established in the reservoir.

Kokanee have rebounded significantly with kokanee abundance (based on sonar survey) and angler catch

improving significantly in 2015 and 2016. A rebound in kokanee abundance is the likely the result of im-

proved kokanee habitat since 2013 as well as decreased predation from lake trout. With improvement in ko-

kanee abundance, lake trout condition has also shown improvement, with 2016 condition similar to levels

seen in early 2000’s. Increased lake trout condition should result in improved opportunities for anglers to

catch larger trophy lake trout. Most kokanee predation occurs in first year after stocking by smaller lake

trout, so harvest of small lake trout is recommended to continue to maintain kokanee populations.

In 2016, kokanee daily bag limits were reduced to 5 from 10 (possession limit remained the same at 10).

The reduction in bag limits and an increase in kokanee abundance resulted in greater numbers of mature ko-

kanee entering the fall 2016 spawning run. A record 17.2 million kokanee eggs were taken in 2016 which

will provide eggs for stocking Colorado waters in 2017. With surplus kokanee eggs available in 2016, addi-

tional eggs were provided to other states, including Wyoming, Utah, and New Mexico to support their ko-

kanee stocking programs.

Yellow perch abundance appeared to be up in 2015, based on angler reports. 2016 perch monitoring docu-

mented an increase in yellow perch capture rates, although numbers were similar to those seen in 2009.

Perch abundance appears to fluctuate significantly and is likely influenced by available spawning habitat in

early summer, which does vary considerably year to year at Blue Mesa Reservoir.